Start off your week strong with our curated list of tips and inspiration on every aspect of the digital marketing world. This is the Mad Fish Catch of the Week.

SEO

How is your business leveraging semantic search results to improve SEO? Longer queries? Content that reflects user intent? In many ways, being able to provide contextual information and optimize for value means that we can engage with our work more closely on the marketing side, and provide more useful and user-serving content on the search side. If you’re struggling to ensure you’ve optimized for searcher intent, be sure to check out this piece to get the why behind what you’re doing, and reach out to us if you need any help acting on these changes.

PPC

If you’re struggling to find the right way to narrow your PPC audience to attract great quality leads, you may be asking the wrong questions. While it’s important to listen to what’s working and optimize for conversions, it’s equally important to be filling the funnel and ensure that those who are attracted to a business are getting the post-lead conversion help they need. Identifying the right kind of conversion rate instead of narrowing the funnel for the sake of a lowered cost means less exposure, and limits a good audience. Instead, focus on filling the funnel with great traffic and sure the business is equipped to convince those users that you’re the right choice. Which problem is yours? Learn more here.

Design

Does the way the iPhone X kind of bug you? Is it because it looks so different than the previous iterations of the phone? Is it the Face ID (maybe that’s just me)? The angles and design of buttons, corners, and more are all impacting the way millions of people use phones today. Whether it’s the curves of the apps on your taskbar or your willingness shell out nearly a thousand dollars for the ability to take great pictures and take a call, the iPhone X is doing something different. We loved this piece this week about the way that Apple engineered the little notch in the top of the phone. It isn’t just a curve, it’s what’s called a squircle (really) and the slope starts earlier and is more gentle. The fact is, Apple is obsessively engineered and all the little details separate the company from others. Check it out.

Social Media

With brands panicking over the Facebook algorithm change (still nervous? Check out our blog on it here) musing about the solution to the network’s problem has become even more popular. Whether it’s media domination or the amplification of content quickly, Facebook has been a boon to publishers and a burden to many of the actual users. Understanding how to support and empower users by making the internet a better place has never been one of Facebook’s core values. The use of Instagram has been beneficial for many though. It’s minimalist, doesn’t allow external links and helps users foster a more personal connection. As Facebook strives to improve, they may do well to look at other platforms for hints. Read more here.

Content Marketing

If you’re a writer, figuring out the best way to communicate an idea via text is the majority of your job when writing. Being clear, concise, and engaging will determine the success of your campaigns. Making sure your copy is punchy is something copywriters should own. Editing is fine – don’t like that verbiage? Think there’s something missing? These notes could be helpful, but prescriptivism is often stifling. After all, who has ever thought Got Milk should be “Do you have any milk?” Yeah, I didn’t think so. Check out examples of how to make copy work for you – without the grammar rules here. Think different is more than just Apple’s slogan.

Culture

Language matters for your work culture. When you’re deciding what kind of environment you’re creating with your business, knowing that the way you word your job descriptions, who you choose to include in your inclusion statement, and how to celebrate your values with prospective employees are all pieces of the puzzle. Instead of just focusing on creating a more inclusive company culture, make sure you’re thinking about the experience of your employees after they’re hired. Learn more about how to improve and get qualified diverse candidates here.

Productivity

Are tech tools really making you more productive? Is Slack making communication easier or just more cluttered? Is the pressure to always be “on” negatively impacting your productivity? The question is often more about how you use the tool than the tool itself. With the increased always online trend it’s important to note how it may impact your workforce, and whether you need to model a healthier approach to work. We loved this piece about setting yourself to away for a week and the impact it had on one director at Buffer. Learn more about her findings and how you can apply them to your work here.